Happy New Year to Me

So yesterday was my birthday and for the first time I am actually looking forward to a new year with new possibilities and new adventures. I don't always have the best birthdays and I think I figured out why, I have far too many expectations going into the day. When things don't magically go the way I dreamed they would I get sad. Don't we all though? So this year I looked at my birthday as a gateway to all that the next year holds for me. I have a lot of things that will be coming up this year that are new adventures and I am super excited. So instead of putting too many expectations on one day, I looked at yesterday as the door finally opening to my next chapter.

Such a better outlook. Because of this I had one of the best birthdays that I can think of to date! I had delish coffee from Starbucks (free, which of course makes it better), a wonderful time with a group of women I adore and thank God for everyday, lunch with a beautiful long time friend, scores of posts on my facebook page from friends all over the country, and a wonderful afternoon with my family swimming and working out and eating (this goes without saying of course)!

I also had a friend look up the meaning of my name, which I would love to share with you here:


Your inherent meaning for your name is -- palm tree (this one I already knew)

Your spiritual meaning of your name is --- Victorious Spirit!!!

Your scripture for your name is Micah 5:9
Your hand shall be lifted up over you adversaries, and your enemies shall be cut off. 

How cool is that! I love this meaning and I am blown away by how fitting it is right now in my life when I have started to truly work on being who God created me to be. So for all of you who blessed my life yesterday with well wishes and continue to give me wings with your support and amazing words of courage thank you. I truly believe that you are gifts from God. I have been re-reading a book called Coming Home to Your True Self by Albert Haase and in the book Haase talks about Mary and how she "was a woman totally aware that everyone she encountered was a God-bearer". This struck me so deeply that I don't think this way at all, and yet it is so true - so this year, I am going to work on seeing God in all those I encounter, my friends, my family and especially those who just have a moment in my day to day life.

Be blessed friends...and I can't wait to start my new year with you.

little hands, little eyes

As most of you know I have a son who will be 4 in March, who I dearly love. He is loud, full of energy and most of all very creative. One of his favorite things is to paint with me in my studio (aka the basement). I personally wish we could do this all day everyday, but that usually doesn't happen. On the days it does happen it's magical. I love the stories he comes up with as he paints and the colors he chooses to go together. He's not afraid to try anything and he has no rules that he follows. He is free. In his mind you can never mess up.

So many times when I am painting I get wrapped up in the rules or I am afraid to make a mistake, not realizing it's just paint, you can always paint over your mistakes or for really big messes get out your gesso and start from scratch.

I think we do the same thing in life too. So many of us are so worried about making a mess of things that instead of doing something, we do nothing and "hope" it just happens on it's own. The other scenario is that maybe we do start something, but we get into the middle of it and realize it's not coming out the way we hoped so instead of pushing through we just give up.

But I am here to tell you that we should not be afraid, we should see life the way my 3 year old does. You can never get too dirty, you can never mess up to much and you can never use too much paint.

See this verse:
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

of course that is nice and easy to read, but sometimes hard to believe so if that doesn't stoke your fire enough see these next verses...

Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special inward endowment] which was directly imparted to you [by the Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you [at your ordination]. Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody.  Look well to yourself [to your own personality] and to [your] teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
1 Timothy 4:14-16  AMP


I love these verses in Timothy, not only does it urge you to use the gifts God has given you but it says PRACTICE...not just do, but PRACTICE. In other words if at first you don't succeed, try, try, again. God knows we won't always get it right, but He does expect us to DO.


So forget the rules and use your gifts, God will do the rest. Happy Wednesday!

My Class

So last Tuesday I taught art journaling for the first time! I had such a blast with the wonderful women at Believers' Fellowship. I started the class with a demonstration on what they were going to be learning to do later on in the class and then gave a brief overview on what art journaling was and why it was important to their spiritual journey.

They jumped right in, when it came time to creating their own page. I had pre-cut 5x7 sheets of paper, markers and paints on the table for them as well as little baggies with magazine pictures, scraps of paper, ribbon, string, buttons (all things that they might find lying around their house. I wanted them to see that they didn't need to go out and buy anything special to start a journal. These women were amazing! They came up with some beautiful pages, which you see in this post. They only had about half hour to forty five minutes to create these! I am still blown away. Especially if you consider most do not consider themselves artistic or creative and it was their first time to work with these materials. Thanks again ladies for making my teaching debut a success!

 

Teaching for the FIRST Time

So I am working on a new project! I am going to be teaching my first class in less than a week. I am scared, but at the same time so excited! I can't believe how quickly this is pulling together. (less than 2 months) The class is going to be on art journaling. It's not a new concept, but I am going to be teaching those who do not think of themselves as being creative or artistic - so it's new to them. I have been focusing a lot of my time lately on my own journal and really feel lead to teach others. This is way out of my comfort zone, so I must be on the right path, right?

Anyways I am totally looking forward to it, and would love to know from all of you, if you journal and if you do what do you focus on when you journal...